Education Committee advances bill to preserve full summer break, cuts minimum days and in‑service requirements

The Education Committee advanced Senate File 72, the Summer Vacation Preservation Act, which would require regular school years to commence after Labor Day and recess no later than Memorial Day, lower the statutory minimum school days from 175 to 165 and reduce required teacher in‑service days from 10 to 5. Senator Brennan, sponsor of the bill, told the committee it is intended "to give teachers and students a full summer break." The committee voted to pass the bill, 6‑2, with one member excused.

Supporters said the change would give districts calendar flexibility and benefit tourism and small businesses by aligning the school summer break with the peak hiring season. "This is really a small business and tourism bill too, as well as just something that is gonna be healthy for the mental well‑being of our students, teachers, and parents," Senator Brennan said. The bill includes a provision that "No school district shall decrease any teacher salary as a result of this act," and sets the act's effective date for the 2026‑27 school year to allow districts time to adjust calendars.

The bill changes several statutory items. It reduces the minimum number of required school days from 175 to 165 and lowers the minimum required teacher professional development days from 10 to 5, while preserving the State Board of Education's authority over minimum pupil‑teacher contact time. Senator Brennan noted the state's highest contact‑hour requirement is 1,000 hours (for high school) and that, by his calculation, 1,000 hours divided by 165 days equals roughly 6.06 hours per day, which he said is feasible without changing contact‑hour requirements.

Opponents and some local stakeholders said the measure intrudes on local control and could reduce structured professional development. Bridal Farmer of the Wyoming School Boards Association testified in opposition, saying the issue "is really primarily that we believe that this is a local issue best addressed by local folks," and warned that cutting required professional development risks shifting the training burden to teachers. Farmer asked that the committee preserve the current ability of local districts to seek alternate schedules from the State Board of Education.

Public commenters who supported the bill urged clarifications or amendments. Patricia McCoy, chapter chair of Moms for Liberty of Laramie County, said the bill "thoughtfully includes protections for teachers' salaries and maintains educational standards through contact hour requirements" but proposed amendments to exempt supplemental summer programs from the Memorial Day–Labor Day restriction and to clarify funding implications under Wyoming statute 21‑13‑307.

Senators and representatives on the committee repeatedly emphasized that the bill preserves alternate‑schedule procedures: districts that want four‑day weeks, year‑round schedules or other alternatives may continue to seek approval from the State Board of Education. The bill also requires districts operating under an approved alternate schedule to annually evaluate the schedule's effectiveness in meeting educational goals.

The committee record shows the measure was moved for a "due pass" recommendation by Representative Straka and seconded by Representative Guggenmoss before the roll call that resulted in the 6‑2 outcome. The bill will move to the next stage of the legislative process following the committee vote.